Sensitive percussion-fuse.



t. R. ST .i sENsfTlvE Pene, loN .K APP llllllll FILED rin-6. 1s.

152295669. y l i Patented"Ju`I1e;-12,191T /f/zf mmm) 17 sfida" tetiiiggmectioii of'the'projectile ,seinewith 45 i *The bodpre erably made in two parts 11 end STATES PATEiS'rT OFFICE. 7

f awh exeetdescriptwn- .I volition relates to .fuses for .the exjffe, projectile fired roinegum "jeetj of the inventionis to provide a new-end improved ysensitive percussion ipsel 'arranged to permit' oisecu'rely setting and' locking the -i'use to preveiit tl ie detoiiw tion'. .oi a. shell or a projectile prior to firing @the .'gi111`.,' .to unlock the fuse through the -i'o- 'e ter being 'gunfund to cause en explosion the '-pi'.o]' ectile whenever the ,Euse 'meets li-resistirme @huge-@Seeking e Smal.

theV envelop'4 oi a 'i6 ''de-'' e. firing .device .Fn .te @finally to' thqiiin'g device alud capable tostriking position' reletive to devieeby-entrifugal force on4 and af eraetersl ofjgreferenee indiis nf 4"eectioi'ielside elevation 4of .I ...the seneitive'percussionfuse es applied and withitiife wrin rale ell or projectile,4 the section being 4o tlht,- 4 I Y ig. '4. ie w. sectional pien view of the semegj- Fig.' pis e rear :fece 'view of the-outer: part. of the b odyor hQlleing of the fuse;

FigYf-is aperspective view of the fulminte oai'rier;`end' T.is a. sirnila view of one of. the L. oolnghlocks forthe firing in.

of the sensi ive percussion specimen; er meer; recent.

the county'of- Orange' hill, elegir,

'.siceomplis'h the desired resiilt, ulm. i-

parte. in unarmed position prior' to elev ation. of the Vune. serial iin. mais.

PatenemiJune ie, 19u.

12 screwed together, .end 'of which ther'ealr'.

or bese part 1 1 screws into. the front end of the proectile 1B containing the" u si1e1 explosive c er' e 11.1. for bui'st tliepijectile when te target is .relic e' le forward part 12 ofthe body of thefhusing 10 is, provided withl e eentralhore 15`,"in which is mounted to. elidee riiig provided et 4its forward.. end withlmjliead 17, preferably in the form 'of e. d isk,' which may be perforated tofoer as .lttle resist! ance as possible-tothe air. The.head 17 is adapted to be seated in ereoess 18 formed 'on the'forwerdend of the body lp .ei-t',V 12, and the seid head'l'? is pressed on ly e sprin 1-9, preferably coiled'v around the forwer end' of the iii-'ing enlarged bore 20 .1 2 and concentric -w'itlitlie .here 15.l

.The inner end of the 'in inactive.' o'siton relative to th firing pm ie-,ythae-ie with Of.- th-P51111 of pointV 23 of the'ring 'pin-16;@ will 4be end. A epifing wey 2'( and presses Ononeend ofl the cerriei` 26 to holdith l tter normallyin infactive non'farmed position. The end carrier V26 pressedon by thespi'ing heavier than the opposite eiidciirr g 'the hummm .2i S15-that whewthe Proge'etlle is to. rotate' then the carrier 26 is censed to slide outward by centrfugelforceagainst I the tension of the spring 29 and rhovee into t l'eg .PiirlA provided with e. collar 21 adapted to was the outward move'ii'igt i 16 to .normellyhold the .en the readily understood by reference t Figs. 2

29 .is seated'iir -the. guider' e letter has moved-'into out-1 .ermost position 'and hes-released the cer-S 1 ions` fired' and, by the. riiing of the-gun, is caused rier 26. This outward Sliding movement l of the carrier 26 in the direction of the arrow is limited by shoulders 30 formed in the guideway 27 (see Fig. 5), the carrier' 26 moves into the active position mentioned then the fulminate 24'registers with 'the igniting charge 31 contained in a chamber 32 formed in the rear body part 11. The rear end of the chamber 82 1s preferably closed by' a perforated plate 88 to keep the igniting charge 31 separate `:from the explosive charge 14,but to ignite the explosive charge whenever the igmtmg charge 31 is set off by the fulmmate 24, as hereinafter, more fully explained.

The firing pin 16 is normally locked in retracted inactive position and for this purpose use is made of a locking device having locking blocks 40 mounted to slide'radially in a guideway 41 formed on the rear face of the body part12 and standing preferably at a right angle to the guideway 2'? and intersecting the same, as lainly indicated in Fig. 5. The lockingb ocks 40 are' provided with necks 42 having recesses 43 to engage the ring pin 16 in front of the collar 21 so as to lock the fui 4pin 16 in the 'retracted position s hown in lgs. l and 2. The locking blocks 40er-e pressed on by springs 44 seated in the 'outerends of the guideway 41 to holdl the bloclgs 40 normally in innermost locking' position. The springs 44 are of sufficient strength so that .their tension is readily overcome by the outward movement of the blocks 40 due to centrifugal force 'on rotating the .s hell or projectile 13, as previously explained. From the foregoing it-will be seen that by the' arrangement described the firing pin 16 is'normally locked in retracted inactive position by the locking blocks 40, and the firing pin 16 in turnv locks the fulmina'te .carrier 26 in inactive position althou h the' fulminate carrier 26 may be held in 't is inactive position by the action of its spring 29 in caseV the firing pin 16 should accidentally move outwardly into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thus the fulininate 24 is normally out of the path of the firing pin 16 and the shell or projectile. can be safely handled in any form or manner whatever without danger of the fuse accidentally setting oli the charge 31.

Theoperation of the fuse is as follows:

Presuming thatsthe fuse parts nre in no rmal inactive unarmed positionne shown. 1n Figs. 1, 2 and 5, and the projectile to which the fuse is attached is fired from the gun, then the projectile is accelerated at all points of its travel Within the gun and at the Sametime hasimpressed upon it a high velocity of rotation by the riding of the gu n. As soon as the acceleration of the projectile ceases at or near the muzzle of the gun, themoving parts of the fuse are free to move under the influence of the centrifugal force developed by the rotation of the pro'ectile and its attached fuse. Under this in uence the locking blocks 40 move radially outward thereby pressingv the springs y44 and disengagi'ng t e necks .42 from the 'collar 21 thus releasing the firing now caused to slide forward under the action ofits spring 19. The forward movement of the firing pin 16 is limited by. the collar 21 striking the forward end wall of the' bore 22 and when the firing pin 16- reaches this position its head 17 is projected adistance beyond the front end o the fuse body -part 12,. as plainly shown ifi-Figs. 2 and 4. 'The forward movement of the Firing pin 16l unlocks the fulminate carrier 26 and the latter is now free to move radially in the direction of the arrow .fr under the iniiuence'of the. rotation of the projectile and lagainst lthe spring 29 until the outward movement of the carrier 26 is stopped by -its striking the-shoulders 30.' When the carrier 26 reaches this position the fulminate 24 is now in register with the point 23 and with the reduced end of the chamber 32. If the 'head 17 of the firing pin 16 now meets with any resistance, even a slight one, then the Iring pin is moved inwardly and its point 23 strikes. tlief'ulmi-v nate 24 and ignites the same thus `causing the ignition of the charge 31 and a subsequent' ignition of the explosive. charge 14 to burst pinA 16. The ltter isl the shell or projectile 13. It will be noticed that by the arrangement. described the fuse when in active position, that is, during the Hight of the projectile, is readily set oi by the head striking, for instance, a small strut or similar part of an aeroplane or the envelop of a dirigible.

It will also be noticed that the. functioning ofthe fuse and the explosion of the projectile ai'e caused by the exposed firing pin e'ncountering any slight resistance and one that.

is insuicient to check thc velocity 'of'the projectile itself. 1 It is understood that as the 'locking blocks ico' 40 are disposed on opposite sides of the axis of the shell or projectile they readily slide radially oiitwur by centrifugal force on the rotation of fie shell or projectile, -and the' prepondera :c of weight of the fulininate carrier" 26 is next to its spring 29 s o that 'the' fulmnate carrier 26 slides radially in' the direction of the arrow w by centrifugal force on the rotation of the shell or projectile.

It is further understood that the spring 19 is of such strength that it will project the firing pin and hold it in the forward position against the resistance of the air during the Hi ht"of `the projectile or shell. The strengt of this .spring is varied as may b e required to accommodate its action to projectiles of different velocities, so that in all r classes of ordnance the in the forward position wi as small a merpin will be held of the axis 'of the ner end of the said firing p in to loc rier againstmovement until `claim as new `pin^,a pair of bloc engaging the A pin. locked in retracted position against the y ltension rof its springind a Vrier mounted, to slide transversely and proversel incenso l ygin of strength as practical'ile.-n the` aving thus described myl invention, ,I and de'sire to secure by Letters Patent:-

1 In a fuse for pro ectil'es, a springpressed liring pin movab e in the direction of the axis of the pro`ectile,` locking 4means normally locking the ing pin eamst out ward movement and4 mounted to ide transversely by centrifu nateearrier mount centrifugal force, the fulininate carrier being provided with an aperture at one side of.

inst transverse movement.

slidable" in the direction' rojectile, the firing pin having a collar at its inner end, a s ring Apressing the firing.

s mounted to slide transversely and having necks attheir inner ende said collarto hold the firing fiilminate cari vided.l with an aperture engaged b the inthe car the ring pin is released by the said loekin blocks.

3. VIn a fuse for project es, a firing pin slidable in the direction of the axis ofthe projectile, the firing pin having a collar at ring pressing-the firing pin,'a p air of bl'oe v and-having necks at their inner ends engaging the 'said :collar to hold the firing pin locked in retracted' position against the tension lof its spring, a fulminate carrier `mounted to slide transversely end p'rovided y'with 'an aperture engaged by the inner en'd of the fs'aid iirin pin to lock the carrier against movemen until the iii-ing pin is'released by the said locking blocks, and means to limit the sliding movement of the fulminate carrier to locate the fulminate in the path of the firing pin. n

4. In a fuse for projectiles, a fuse body, 'a firing pin-mounted on said fuse body and having a striking, plate at its forward end, and automatic locking means normally locky the same may be varied without. de arting from the spirit ,of my invention.-

1 f0roe,.aii(l a fulmif- `to slide transversely by sinountjjd to slide'trans-- recess at the' outer eiid of;

'a cad adapted the said 'pin in a retracted posi,-

tion in the said bo y, the said locking means being slidable in 'a direction transverse to the axis of the rojectile and be:1 ada ted by centrifugal orce, on the rotation o the proiectile, to release the said pin, a spring for moving the orward when released to cause the stri gplate to roiect beyond the general outline of the o bod and a laterally movable fulminate carrier or moving the fulminate into the ,"ath of the firing. pin when the latter is reeased, whereby upon the impact' of the proiectile, the irin in will be driven inward the fu mate thereby detonating "ft i' fuse `and projectile.

5.. In a fusefonprnjectil a fuse body having-a'recess in its orwa end, a firing pin mov ted provided adapted to b,e seated in the said rece, autos matic" loclnngineans normally locking the said firing plain-ret cted position in the said body and adapte to be actuated.. during to release the firing piiigmean's' or when released .to reject-ite ead be Vond the fuse bodyfll a inate carrier fulminate' adapted to- "be, engaged firing pin when. the latterjisriven Imvvar -by contact of the projectile with'thetarget, '6. In a fuse for jirojeetiileaV a fuse body provided with a recess at the outer end ofthe fuse body and into-which leads' the said central 'boi-ey a firing pin slidable in the said bore and havin?i a head adapted'tct into the eaiii..recessieV an' automatic` pisana normally lockingthe said Pmim retracted positioii with the saidV eadeated' in the said recess..,'" '7.-In a f iise forfprojectiles, a fuse body provided with@ cltr'al re and witha into which leads the` said eritral bore, a liri Apin slidable iii the said 'bore' and -having automatic lnking'e'nsfnormall locki the said firing' y the said hea in the said recess,- the said lof'Jking means bei adapted'to release the sai eilig-moved transversely by ntr of the projectile, and 'a said firing pin to move the latter outwardly on being released and to head beyond the said body.

firing pin on' l to slide in the fuse body andat its forward endwith a head t intn the'isaid recess, y

proj ect 4the said central bore and witha fusiel -body and @fili-retracted position eilig iio force on the rotation spring pressing the 

